(Newswire.net — January 28, 2019) — Americans love seafood. In fact, according to a study published in National Geographic magazine, the United States consumes 348.5 million metric tons of the sea’s edible resources. This puts the United States third after China and Japan for the most seafood consumption. Some of the favorite types of seafood eaten by Americans include shrimp, salmon, canned tuna, crab, catfish, and clams.
Americans who love seafood will be glad to know that they can keep on eating it. Besides being delicious and versatile, seafood has some amazing health benefits, including these three.
1. Lowers the Risk of Heart Disease
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women. About 610,000 Americans die from heart disease every year. Though deadly, there are ways to prevent heart disease. This includes keeping blood pressure and cholesterol under control, getting adequate amounts of exercise, and quitting unhealthy habits, such as smoking. Another proven way to lower the risk of heart disease is to eat healthy fats, such as Omega-3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA. This can be done by eating foods like tuna and salmon at least twice a week.
2. Provides a Good Source of Protein
To obtain optimal health, it’s important to get enough protein. However, it’s even more important to get the right kinds of protein. Healthy proteins keep the cells in good shape, help with weight management, and aid the body in making necessary enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Seafood, such as Dungeness crab, is not only a great source of high quality protein, it also rich in vitamins and minerals, low in fat, and adequate amounts of omega-3 polyunsaturated acids.
3. Helps the Body Get Adequate Amounts of Vitamin D
Vitamin D has several different functions in the body. Not only does it boost the immune system and help the body to fight off disease, Vitamin D also reduces depression, boosts weight loss, reduces the risk of some types of cancer, and improves lung function. Besides these benefits, Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins for the body because it keeps the right amounts of calcium and phosphorous in the blood, which makes the bones healthy and strong. Seafood that is especially high in Vitamin D includes salmon, cod liver oil, shrimp, oysters, canned tuna, and herring.